This invention relates to a recording medium accommodation apparatus which has at least two recording medium access ports including a first recording medium access port and a second recording medium access port such that a recording medium can be inserted into the storage medium accommodating apparatus through each of the recording medium access ports.
Such a recording medium accommodation apparatus as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16A to 16c is known. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16A to 16C, the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200 shown has two recording medium access ports including a first storage medium access port 202 and a second storage medium access port 203 on a principal face 201a of a housing 201 thereof. A first recording medium, such as, for example, a CD (Compact Disk) can be accommodated into the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200 through the first storage medium access port 202 while a second recording medium such as, for example, an MD (Mini Disk, magneto-optical disk) is accommodated into the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200 through the second storage medium access port 203 so that the CD or the MD is recorded and/or reproduced.
In the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200, a single panel 204 is attached for sliding movement to the principal face 201a of the housing 201 such that it closes up one of the two first and second storage medium access ports 202 and 203 and opens the other of the two first and second storage medium access ports 202 and 203. The panel 204 is formed with a size substantially equal to that of the principal face 201a of the housing 201.
When none of a CD and an MD is to be accommodated into the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200, the panel 204 closes up both of the first and second storage medium access ports 202 and 203 as seen in FIG. 16A. However, when a CD is to be accommodated into the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200, the panel 204 is slidably moved in the direction indicated by an arrow mark a such that it opens the first storage medium access port 202 while it keeps the state wherein it closes up the second storage medium access port 203 as seen in FIG. 16B. On the other hand, when an MD is to be accommodated into the storage medium accommodation apparatus 200, the panel 204 is slidably moved in the direction indicated by another arrow mark b such that it opens the second storage medium access port 203 while it maintains the state wherein it closes up the first storage medium access port 202 as seen in FIG. 16C. Such a storage medium accommodation apparatus 200 as described above is disclosed, for example, in “Sound Gate Catalog”, Sony Corporation, July 2004 (hereinafter referred to as Non-Patent Document 1).